BROOKLYN, Ohio — Changes in immigration enforcement have some Northeast Ohio communities bracing for what’s next.
Supporters say it’s time for stricter consequences for people in the country without proper documentation, but some families say recent enforcement makes them feel like political targets.
For the past year, Rosa has found refuge in Northeast Ohio.
“It’s a country that could protect us. There’s a better quality of life for my children here,” she told News 5 through a translator.
The mother of two declined to share her last name because of concerns in the U.S. and her home country of Venezuela. She fled turmoil in the country where political unrest has led to economic instability, violence and a humanitarian crisis.
“I was threatened by the [Venezuelan] government. I was actually physically assaulted,” she recalled. “[It was] to the point my life and my children’s lives were in danger.”
The young family crossed seven countries in six months to arrive in the U.S. Their current Brooklyn neighborhood and church are filled with other immigrants. Some were also fleeing violence or persecution in their home countries.
“All the stories of each immigrant group that made it here have that similarity. They’ve all wanted some freedom,” said Luis Vizcarrondo, the pastor at Refine Church in Brooklyn.
The pastor and Rosa explained fears are growing among many of the groups after recent immigration crackdowns and orders from a new administration.
“The kids are scared to go to school, to their soccer games out of fear of being deported,” Rosa said.
The concerns were heightened when the Department of Homeland Security scrapped previous guidance discouraging ICE agents from enforcement in “sensitive areas,” such as schools, hospitals and places of worship.
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Supporters of the policy change believe there should be no safe spaces for anyone violating U.S. law.
“Anyone that is unlawfully present in the state of Ohio should be fearful that ICE is going to enforce federal immigration laws wherever you are present,” State Rep. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania) told News 5 statehouse reporter Morgan Trau Wednesday.
Williams said undocumented immigrants, regardless of age or criminal record, are using state resources he believes should be reserved for legal residents. He explained his office is working on several immigration-related bills, including one that would deny funding to communities that impede immigration enforcement.
“I don’t care if you’re a university, I don’t care if you’re a hospital, I don’t care if you’re a school. You should be opening the door for federal enforcement of immigration. Period,” he said.
It’s been a delicate subject for schools and others.
Rosa said she kept her children home from Brooklyn City Schools following the new DHS guidance. The district has not elaborated to News 5 about its policy regarding immigration enforcement, but community leaders say they’re told it is similar to plans laid out publicly by other districts.
Some of the region’s largest school districts have told News 5 they will uphold student privacy and require warrants and due process for any immigration enforcement in their schools.
Pastor Vizcarrondo said his church plans to handle possible interactions with ICE similarly.
“If they have their judicial warrants signed by a judge, I would still ask for it. And after that, I would ask specifically what they’re looking for and who they’re looking for,” he explained.
Rosa said she’s allowed her children to return to school while her family’s request for political asylum is being processed by the court. She told News 5 she’s been losing sleep recently as she worries about her family being targeted.
“[We’re trying] to do things right and to ask the government to at least give our children a better future,” she said.
